1. Field of Invention
The invention relates to animal tracking devices. More specifically, this invention relates to an electronic animal tracking device based on instantaneous direction of arrival determination.
2. Description of the Related Art
Free-roaming animals have the potential of being out of the owner's sight, effectively lost. Whether an escaped house pet or a sporting dog in the field, a simple and reliable mechanism for locating the animal is desirable.
Other devices have been used to locate out-of-sight animals. Common in the sport dog industry is the beeper locator. The beeper locator generates an audible alert that allows the sportsman to locate the animal. Location using the audible technique is limited both in precision and in range by a number of factors including the sportsman's hearing and the density of the vegetation in the area. Further, the beeper locators are generally suitable for use in wilderness settings when activated prior to the controlled release of the animal, i.e., a sporting dog released to track. In a populated setting, the beeper locator has the potential to be disturbing to others if constantly sounding.
In addition to beeper locators, other devices using satellite, e.g., a global positioning system (GPS), or cellular technologies have been developed to locate animals. These devices are predicated on the support of an existing third-party infrastructure. While there is currently no fee associated with the use of GPS signals, cellular providers charge for the use of their networks. Both GPS and cellular technologies have varying quality of service that is primarily location dependent. Dependence on a third-party infrastructure exposes the animal owner to limitations on service that are outside the control of the equipment manufacturer and the possibility of recurring service fees.